1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the method and apparatus for enhancing human visual perception of a linearly moving object, and particularly to spectacles equipped with optical shutters that function to enhance the ability of the human visual physiology to track the path of an object moving at high speed and over an interval of elapsed time to train or condition the human visual physiology to retain some of this enhanced ability even in the absence of the spectacles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention is an improvement on the method and apparatus of this inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,450 entitled xe2x80x9cMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED HIGH-SPEED PERCEPTION (EHP) OF A MOVING OBJECT USING AN OPTICAL SHUTTER SPECTACLExe2x80x9d. That invention teaches the use of optical shutter spectacles operated close to the flicker fusion frequency of the wearer both to provide a more distinct image of a linearly moving object (i.e. an object whose motion has no inherent periodicity of its own) and to enable the wearer to more accurately predict the object""s future position to thereby enable initiation of a more timely and appropriate physical response to meet the challenge or threat posed by the fast moving object. The method of my previously noted invention achieves this objective firstly by operating near the flicker fusion frequency to provide only one image in each visual frame of the viewer and, secondly, by reducing the spatial uncertainty of the moving object in each visual frame by enabling viewing of the object for only part of each visual frame.
The teachings of this inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,450 present the spectacle wearer""s flicker fusion frequency as an independent variable, possibly different for each individual, and the optical shutter rate of the spectacles as a dependent variable to be adjusted as close as possible to the wearer""s flicker fusion frequency. However early in the development of optical shutter spectacles providing EHP benefits, the inventor observed that the human visual system responds to cyclical optical shutter images in a manner analogous to an xe2x80x9coptical pace makerxe2x80x9d and that this biofeedback mechanism can be used to further enhance human visual perception of fast moving objects or surroundings. This optical shutter visual pacemaker biofeedback mechanism is herein generically referred to as xe2x80x9cVisual Frame Rate Trainingxe2x80x9d.
Accordingly one of the objects of this invention is to provide the biofeedback between the operation of optical shutter spectacles and the wearer""s visual information processing.
Another object of this invention is to provide Visual Frame Rate Training that can be used to further improve the phenomena of Enhanced High-Speed Perception (EHP) using optical shutter spectacles.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for Visual Frame Rate Training with optical shutter spectacles that can be used to enhance perception of moving objects without using optical shutter spectacles.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.
In terms of broad inclusion, the invention comprises electronically controlled optical shutter spectacles utilized by a method for achieving biofeedback between the operation of the optical shutter spectacles and the physiological rate and timing of human visual processing of the wearer of the spectacles to provide further enhanced perception of fast-moving objects or surroundings and to train the human physiology to retain enhanced motion perception capability for an indeterminate time following removal of the spectacles.